State of the Gophers, Part III: The quest to rebuild the on-ice product

By Eric VegoeMar 4, 201935

Editor’s note: This is the last in a three-part series on the state of the Gophers men’s hockey program, looking at the present and future of the on-ice product under Bob Motzko. Part I looked at the ongoing issues with selling tickets. Part II tackled the program’s efforts to engage with alumni.

Bob Motzko tries awfully hard to avoid using the word “frustrated” when he talks about the progress and potential for Gopher hockey during a Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

His program opened the season with a tie and win over preseason No. 1 Minnesota Duluth, is 2-0-2 against Big Ten regular-season champion and seventh-ranked Ohio State and won its series with the conference’s second-highest ranked team — No. 17 Notre Dame — 3-1.

That’s when his team plays like a disciplined Dr. Jekyll, staying out of the penalty box, controlling the game with an offense that gets on the rush for scoring opportunities, possessing the puck with a...